


Follow the Yellow Beetle Home

by pentameter_and_pen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 12:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1387816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentameter_and_pen/pseuds/pentameter_and_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CS & Captain Cobra. It’s a long drive to Storybrooke, after Hook restores Emma and Henry’s memories. But that just means there’s more time to get to know each other better. [For colinodamnoghue as part of CS Secret Shipmates].</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow the Yellow Beetle Home

Hook would never tell Emma this, but he isn’t too fond of the yellow, wheeled vessel she calls a ‘car’.

They’ve barely been driving for an hour but his long legs feel cramped and his back is already sore from sitting for so long. Not to mention the squeaking noise his coat seems to make every time he sifts in his seat. This would never have happened on a ship – another reason why sailing is always the more preferable option.

But to say anything would be incredibly bad form. You do not badmouth a captain’s ship when you are on it – or in this case, in it. And while that’s a rule for ships, he’s pretty sure it applies for cars too. Besides, it appears that Emma is quite fond of the thing, and if there’s one thing he understands, it’s the relationship between man and vessel.

So he focuses on Henry’s words instead.

“-it’s kinda cool that we have two sets of memories – like Grandma and Grandpa. And Belle and Mr. Gold… Wait. Do I call him Grandpa as well? Because I already call Grandpa, ‘Grandpa’.”

Emma smiles at that, looking up into a mirror so she can see her son’s face. “Don’t worry kid, I’m sure you’ll figure it out when we get there.”  

Glancing at her face Hook notes that she looks the most relaxed he’s ever seen her. It seems that spending a year with her son has done wonders for her otherwise closed-off temperament. The ease and frequency of her smiles is proof of that. And for that, he is quite grateful. After all, he still can’t forget the smile she’d bestowed upon him after she’d finally regained her memory, disbelief twinkling in her eyes, while surprise danced on her lips. The way she’d whispered, “ _Hook_ …” when he’d embraced her on the steps of the police station had been tinged with wonder – the Lost Girl within her unable to believe that the pirate that had pledged to fight for her had actually kept his word.

The memory is enough to bring a smile to his face.

“What?” 

Her voice brings him back to the present. Judging from her tone, she’s back to being the tough-as-nails Saviour he remembers. 

“I’m simply admiring the view,” he replies, not taking his eyes off her face in anticipation of what she will say.

Her eyes flicker to him for a second before going back to the road in front of them. “Well, take a picture. It’ll last longer”

The corner of Hook’s lips quirk upwards to form a flirtatious half-smile, but before he can say anything he’s interrupted by Henry.

“Mom! That’s not fair. The captain doesn’t know what taking a picture is!”

Hook’s surprised by Henry’s use of his title. No one’s used it in a while and he hasn’t thought of his pirate captain days in a long time – not since Neverland, actually. But the way the boy says it takes him back to his days in the Navy, when that title meant something different.

“Actually Henry,” he pauses. It’s the first time he’s really used the boy’s name too. “You don’t need to call me ‘captain’, ‘Hook’ is just fine.”

“But you’re a captain right?”

“Yes…”

“Then why wouldn’t I call you ‘captain’?”

The boy’s words bring a smile to Hook’s face. It’s been a while since anyone’s seen him as anything besides a pirate. Hook can see why Emma would do anything for the lad. Even if he wasn’t her son it’s clear he’s quite special.

“What’s your real name?” Henry asks again.

“Pardon?” Hook says, having missed the first part.

“Your real name. What were you called before you became Captain Hook?”

For a second time that day Hook is surprised. No one’s ever cared about his given name before.

“Killian Jones,” he answers, awaiting Henry’s response.

“Cool! Is it okay if I call you Killian? Or should I call you Captain?”

Before he can answer Emma jumps in.

“Henry…”  

She shoots him an apologetic look. Hook simply smiles back at her before turning back towards Henry.

“Well lad, Killian’s just fine,” he says with a smile – the second the boy’s coaxed out of him today. It’s no wonder Emma’s more prone to smiling now. Henry makes it quite easy. “Besides, ‘Captain’ wouldn’t be right. This is your mother’s car after all.”

Henry’s face lights up at the thought of his mother being captain of their car. “Mom that makes you Captain Swan!”

Emma shoots Hook a mock glare before looking up at Henry in the mirror. “Captain’s a bit much kiddo. I’m fine being called ‘mom’.”

“Okay mom.”

Hook can’t help but notice the way Emma seems to bask under her new title. It’s quite clear that this year with him has made all the difference to her. And for that, he is quite happy for her. The Saviour deserves a win every once in a while.

A comfortable silence falls over the car after that as Emma focuses on driving. But it doesn’t last long. It isn’t in the nature of elven-year-old boys to remain quiet for long.

“So Killian, want to play a driving game?”

“What’s a driving game?” Hook asks, his interest piqued.

“It’s a game you play when you’re going on a long drive.”

Hook can hear the excitement in Henry’s voice. Since he’s found them, the boy has enjoyed explaining several modern day contraptions to him – the toaster, the television, the dishwasher, etc. He’d been absolutely tickled when Hook had called them magic, his amused giggles making Hook realise he looked forward to Henry’s laughter as much he looked forward to one of his mother’s smiles. So he acquiesces.

“Alright Henry, what do you have in mind?”

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Emma would never tell anyone this, but she can’t believe how well this trip is going so far. Henry doesn’t seem in the least bit upset by the fact that they’d both had their memories altered and erased. He just seems excited to return to Storybrooke, and be reunited with his family. He even seems excited to see Regina again. And Hook hasn’t complained one bit – despite the fact that the Beetle isn’t built for long legs. Every time she looks over she sees the discomfort in his eyes, but he still doesn’t breathe a word of it. Not that Emma’s too surprised; she’s come to expect this kind of thing from him. After all, from the moment they met the pirate has been keeping her on her toes.

Even now, she’s surprised that none of his ‘Twenty Questions’ have been about her. Instead, they’ve all been aimed at Henry, as if he’s trying to get to know the boy better.  

“What is your favourite book?”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Henry responds. Even Emma knows the answer to this. “My book of fairy tales.”

Henry taps his backpack as it sits on the seat next to him. Wherever he goes, the book follows. When they’d been living in New York, Emma had had to convince him not to take it to school with him. Only once she pointed out that it could be stolen did he agree to leave it in their apartment. Back then she’d simply thought it was a book they’d bought at a used bookstore. Knowing what she does now, she recognises that some part of Henry was clinging on tightly to the lives they’d left behind. Not even a second curse could stop him from believing.

“Which of those stories are your favourite?” Hook asks again. Judging by the look on Henry’s face, the pirate may have stumped him.

“No one’s ever asked me that before.” Henry answers, deep in thought. “When I was younger, before I read the book, it was Snow White.”

Emma isn’t too surprised. The story does feature his grandparents and adopted mother.

After giving it some thought, Henry continues. “But then when I read the book my favourite story was actually my mom’s.”

This time Emma is surprised.

“But I’m not from a fairy tales. I’m just… me.”

How can she explain to her sweet, young son that those stories are full of happy endings and so far all she’s had are painful beginnings and middles?

Luckily Hook seems to sense her discomfort, and he swoops in.

“And you Swan, what was your favourite story growing up?”

Emma can feel her cheeks going red. She knows they’re waiting for her answer but she doesn’t want to tell them. So she tries to deflect the question.

“Who says I had a favourite story?” Her voice softens. “The foster system isn’t known for its bedtime stories.”

She doesn’t need to look at Hook to know he’s looking at her the same way he’d looked at her on the beanstalk all those months ago – as if he completely understands where she’s coming from. She shifts in her seat, rearranging her grip on the steering wheel. But she doesn’t say anything, hoping he’ll drop the matter.

“Come now Swan, all children love stories. It’s a known fact.” At her pointed look he continues, “I myself was also partial to Snow White. Though please don’t tell your parents.”

She should have known better. After all, the man’s persistence is what got them here, driving back to Storybrooke.  

“Yeah mom.  _Please_?”

Its Henry’s pleading that does it. Emma swallows, nervous to reveal her answer.

A quick glance at Hook and she sees that the twinkle that has taken up residence in his eye has grown brighter, meaning that the pirate has a good guess as to what it might have been. She has no other choice, but to bite the bullet and tell them.      

“Alright… Peter Pan.” She answers. Quickly adding, “But  _obviously_  that’s changed.”

She can’t bring herself to look at Hook. It’s strange, but even though she can feel his eyes on her, the intent behind them does not feel cocky. However she’s too nervous to find out what it is. Instead she turns her attention up the rear-view mirror. There she’s faced with Henry. Slowly his lips begin to form that gentle, reassuring smile she’s seen countless times on David. It seems her son has inherited the best of everyone’s qualities.

It gives her the courage to meet the pirate’s eyes. And almost immediately she recognises the look in his eyes – the kind of loneliness and self-loathing that comes from being abandoned at a young age. Suddenly his words on the beanstalk make sense. It takes one to know one, and right now, they’re both Lost Children trying to find their way home.

She gives him a half-smile, the kind he’d elicited from her the day he’d pledged to never stop thinking of her. As she does, she notes that it’s becoming easier and easier to smile at him. But she stops herself before she starts examining what it means.

“Hook, why don’t you let Henry ask you a few questions?” She says as she forces her eyes back towards the road.

“As you wish…” Hook responds, his tone light.

Emma feels her cheeks burn again, her thoughts instantly going back to that night in the woods, the air crackling with intensity as her lips locked against his, making it impossible for her to tell where she ended and he began. She’d never fully understood the term ‘sparks of attraction’ until now.

She’s pulled back by the sound of Henry’s voice.

“So Killian, how did you become a pirate?”

Emma’s actually interested in the answer. From what she’s seen, Killian Jones doesn’t strike her as the kind of man that would become a pirate.

But looking at his face she sees a look of pain flash across it. So she decides to throw him a bone.

“Henry, why don’t you start off with an easier question?”

“It’s alright  _Love_ ,” Hook interrupts. “I don’t mind answering.”

There’s something about the way he says that word –  _Love_. It’s like he’s savouring it. Like he’s savouring her. Each time he utters it she can feel it under her skin, a sort of shifting that tells her that the word feels right when he applies it to her.  

Right now, she shakes it off. She doesn’t want to think about what it means. What any of it means. All that matters is returning to Storybrooke and saving her family. It’s what the Saviour does. So she brings herself to focus on what Hook is saying.

“-Liam died in my arms. I burned the Dreamshade and decided I’d never again serve a king so ruthless. So I left the Royal Navy and became a pirate.”   

Surprised by this new information, Emma turns to look at him, but sees him looking out the window instead. Her face softens. Clearly his middles aren’t so happy either.

“Is that how you got the ship?” Henry asks, his tone solemn yet earnest.

“Aye. The ‘Jewel of the Sea’,” Hook answers, turning to him with a sad smile. “Of course she’s the ‘Jolly Roger’ now.”

“I like the ‘Jolly Roger’ better,” Henry opines. “All the cool pirate ships are named that. Even good pirates like you.”

Emma smiles. Her son made a saviour out of a non-believer, but it seems he’s focused his attention on turning a pirate into hero. Though if anyone’s capable of it, that would be him.  

“Well, I am a pirate, if nothing else… ” Hook says, turning to the front. “Though I hardly think of being one as ‘cool’.”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t call you ‘cool’,” Emma interrupts, teasingly. “More like…”

She catches Hook’s eyes as she searches for a word to adequately describe the man sitting next to her. He gives her one of his half-smiles, but what starts out flirtatious, quickly fades into soft and familiar – as if this kind of playful rapport has existed between them forever. Emma recognises it as the smile from their goodbye to one another a year ago, and just like then, she finds herself matching it one of her own, effectively cementing this new dynamic between them.

Except now there aren’t the accompanying tears and pain in her chest she’d felt last time. No, this time the emotions rush into her cheeks and she feels them burning. She quickly looks away. They have yet to talk about what has happened between them since then – her affirmation of the declaration he’d made, his attempt at True Love’s Kiss, his finding them in New York City.

Until they do, the word will remain stuck in her throat and she will be unable to utter it. So instead, she reaches for a distraction, something to take everyone’s attention off her inability to describe the pirate. Luckily, a sign up ahead holds all her answers.

“Ready to stop for lunch?” She asks quickly. “There’s a diner up ahead.”

She’s grateful when her stomach rumbles in agreement. She was beginning to get hungry anyway. Henry is eager to stop – but then again, when doesn’t the boy want to eat. Two of the bags crammed into the backseat are filled with snacks alone.

Hook simply quirks an eyebrow at her. But she quickly turns back to the road, knowing he knows full well which word she’d wanted to use. After all, it was the last thing she’d ever said to him all those months ago.

 _Good._   

CSCSCSCSCS

Hook doesn’t want to admit it, but none of the options on the menu make any sense to him. So he continues to study it instead. What on earth is a ‘waffle’? How are you supposed to make toast ‘French’? And who would invent something called a ‘meatloaf’?  

Lucky for him, Henry clues into this early and simply making Hook’s choice for him. Having seen the boy put away multiple meals now, Hook is confident that he knows what he’s doing. However that doesn’t ease his apprehension when the boy rattles off a string of unfamiliar foods at the woman tasked with bringing them their food. Whereas Emma had simply requested a ‘cheeseburger with fries’, Henry has asked for two ‘chocolate shakes’, a ‘stack of pancakes’, a ‘plate of onion rings’ and two more ‘cheeseburgers with fries’.

When the woman leaves – not without directing a flirtatious smile at Hook, which seems to irk his favourite Saviour – Emma turns towards Henry who’s sitting besides Hook in the opposite booth, and asks “I think you forgot to order the kitchen sink.”

“Killian’s never had pancakes before!” Henry protests, bringing the pirate’s unfamiliarity into it.

Hook does his best to help the boy out.

“It’s true,  _Love_ ,” he says, looking her in the eyes. “I’ve been curious since Henry first mentioned them to me in New York. The lad just wants to help educate me.”

It’s not a complete lie. The food in question then had been hotdogs, with Henry insisting he try some before they leave for Storybrooke. Apparently there is something about New York that makes them a particular delicacy there. But Emma doesn’t need to know any of this right now.  

Predictably, her expression softens – as it often does when it comes to her son.

“Alright…” she says, accepting Hook’s defence. “But don’t come running to me when you have a stomach ache.”

She aims that at the both of them, a stern expression taking residence on her face.  

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Hook answers with a flirtatious grin that Emma just snorts at.

Before he can comment, Henry demands his attention, directing him to the ‘ketchup’ he is pouring onto Hook’s plate.

By the time the food arrives Hook has sampled all the condiments the diner has to offer at their table as Henry looks on enthusiastically. Sneaking a glance at Emma, Hook sees that the process amuses her. So he smiles to himself and tries ‘mayonnaise’.

Since they’ve begun he’s discovered that while he enjoys ketchup, he abhors mustard; and that he’s okay with hot sauce. Though he suspects it could improve the right dish. He makes a note to try and use it more in the future. 

He almost stops himself at the thought. A future. With Emma and Henry. 

If someone had told him a year and a half ago that he’d be sitting across from Emma in a dining establishment, simply enjoying a meal with her and her son, he’d say they were joking. But experiencing it now he realises he’s come a long way since then, and he quite likes the man he’s slowly becoming. He meant every word he’d said in the Echo Cave. He’s learning to love again, and he’s enjoying the feeling. It’s nice to have someone to love again. Glancing at Henry he makes a slight adjustment –  _Two_  someones. 

He’s pulled out of his epiphany by the arrival of their food, which as Henry predicted, smells delicious. Taking Henry’s cue, he digs in, slowly working his way through the burger and fries on his plate before moving a few ‘pancakes’ onto his now empty plate. That’s when discovers maple syrup.

“Whoa Hook! Easy on the syrup!” Emma exclaims as he reaches for the little jar for the fifth time. She reaches out and places her hand on his to prevent him from pouring himself any more. 

Interrupted mid-feast he looks up to see her concerned face.

“I think you’ve had enough. Your pancakes are swimming in it! Besides, Henry needs some too!”

Looking down at his plate he sees that she’s right. However he can’t stop himself, he’s never tasted anything so wonderful in his life. He’s even been dipping his onion rings in it, enjoying the combination of sweet and savoury on his tongue. Luckily Henry comes to his defence.

“It’s okay mom! We’ll just order more.”

With that, the boy waves at the waitress, who immediately rushes over to them.

“More maple syrup. Got it. Need anything else?”

Hook looks up to see that her question is directed solely at him. However unsure of what else they would need his first response is to defer to Emma, who in turn looks back at him.

The waitress quickly notices this and looks over at their outstretched hands, both still resting on the little jar of maple syrup.

Noticing the subject of her gaze Emma immediately pulls her hand back, clearing her throat in the process. “I think we’re okay.”

Pleased with the turn of events, Hook happily drizzles yet another helping of maple syrup on his already drenched stack, but he can’t help notice how cold his hand feels after.

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Emma doesn’t want to admit it, but they just might be lost. They’ve stopped for gas at a gas station at least an hour outside Boston, but she isn’t sure if they’re going the right way. She can’t believe this has happened. In fact she  _refuses_  to believe this has happened, apart from her ability to tell if people are lying, she has an almost uncanny sense of direction. It had come in awfully handy during her bail bondswoman days. She’d always chalked it down to being found on the side of the road. Now she can’t help but wonder if it’s something she got from her parents. After all, they did have a knack for always finding each other.

Right now however, that’s the furthest thing from her mind. Instead, she wants to kick herself. Why had she thought she wouldn’t need the GPS?

Well, she tells herself, it’s because the last time she’d done this, driven into Storybrooke, she’d done it without one. But then she’d also just known where she was heading. A small part of her decides that’s probably because she’d been written into the curse as the Saviour. A larger part tells her that she’d just been trying to impress the pirate with her knowledge of this world.

Meeting him in New York had gotten her all flustered. Caught between her old resurfacing memories and her Regina induced memories, she hadn’t known what to make of him showing up. To be honest, she still doesn’t know – the moment in the diner had confirmed it. What she does know, however, is that she needs to figure out how to get them back to Storybrooke fast. So she buys a map when she pays for gas.

Exiting the store she spots Henry and Hook in deep conversation, until something Henry says causes Hook to laugh. She stops in her tracks, her ears warming to the strange bark-like sound the pirate makes when he’s amused. She watches as he shakes his head, a big grin plastered across his face.

Looking over at Henry she sees him wearing a matching grin, but this one tinged with pride. Clearly he’s pleased with whatever he’d said to elicit such a reaction from the older man. That’s when Emma notices her son’s eyes. The look in his eyes is the same as the look of admiration he used to give David when they’d all lived together.

It’s quite obvious that her son considers Hook a role model, and why not?  The man is responsible for helping Emma get back to him not once, but twice. Considering his stepmother was the Evil Queen, Henry looking up to a formerly vengeful pirate isn’t a big deal at all.

Their laughter ceases as she approaches. But the smiles remain on their faces.

“Ready to go?” she asks, unfolding the map. Hook’s eyes are immediately drawn to it. He moves to stand beside her as she lays the whole thing across the hood of the car. It’s a few inches closer than their usual, silently agreed upon distance, but its close enough for her to feel the heat his body radiates. She quickly sneaks a side-glance, wondering if all the leather is actually helping him stay warm.  

“Mom, you should let Killian help,” Henry says excitedly, pulling her from her thoughts. “I’m sure he’s read like a thousand treasure maps. Right?”

She follows Henry’s gaze to Hook and watches as he shrugs at the suggestion. “I’d hardly put the number at a thousand, but Henry’s right. I have read my share of maps.”

“Alright then,” she nods, turning towards the map, following a road with her finger. “Storybrooke isn’t on here, but I’m pretty sure this is the way we drove there last time.”

Hook’s hand quickly joins hers, hovering near where hers is so he can pick up where she left off.

Surprised by its appearance, she turns to glance up at him. In doing so, she sees a side of him she’s never seen before – the tactician – his dark eyes intensely studying the map in front of him. In all the time they’ve known each other she’s never seen him refer to any direction-giving device. Well, except for the compass.

Almost immediately, her mind flashes back to him furiously calling out her name as he struggled against the chain that bound him to the wall, his face filled with a mixture of pain and anger. She’d never stopped to think that her actions would hurt him. Yes, they had a connection, but with all his flirting and playful innuendo, she hadn’t thought that he’d take it seriously. Except that deep down inside, she’d known that he did.

Now, watching him study the map, she realises she should have trusted herself when it came to Hook. 

Just then, she jumps at the sensation of Hook’s hand grazing against hers, gently moving her finger out of the way. She quickly pulls her wrist away, shaking it as she hides it behind her back.

Looking back at him, she wonders if he felt it too – the spark that had jolted through her – but his eyes remain focused on the map.

A second later he taps a spot on the map. “Found it. We simply follow the road further up a few miles, and THEN take a turn to the left.”

Emma looks at the map, but her mind can’t seem to focus on what he wants her to see. So she quickly nods, stepping around him to get into the car.

“Great. Get in the car.”

She opens the car door and stands there, waiting. She watches as Henry helps the one-handed pirate as he folds up the map, careful not to rip it with his hook, and smiles at the delicacy with which both of them approach the task. As she stretches out her arm, resting it across the much cooler roof of her car, Emma can’t help but notice how fast her heart is still beating.

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For someone who’s spent most of his life on the move, Hook is certain that this is one of his favourite journeys. Having found the perfect sitting position – leaning a few inches to the left, while stretching his legs out to the right – he’s even begun to enjoy riding in Emma’s car. It helps that he’s a few inches closer to his favourite blond saviour, but it’s something deeper than that. It’s almost as of the three of them have settled into a comfortable rhythm, a comfortable silence settling over the car – punctuated only by Hook’s occasional directions and Henry’s loud backseat munching.

He’s actually grateful for the silence, as it gives him time to think. His mind has been buzzing since he brushed hands with Emma hours ago. It was a brief moment of contact that should have meant nothing. But as he learned in Neverland more than a year ago, every little thing about this woman affects him on a larger scale. Right now, he’s wondering if she’d felt that spark between them as well. Because he know he did, and if he’s being honest with himself, he’s never felt this kind of connection before – not even with Milah.

Glancing at the woman beside him, he realises that she may know Captain Hook, but she’s only briefly met Lieutenant Killian Jones. And he intends to change that.

Just then Henry calls out.

“Mom! Stop! Pull Over!”

The second he hears the urgency the boy’s voice, Hook is filled with concern. He turns to him as Emma moves to stop the car. Luckily there’s no one on the road but them.

“What is it lad? Are you okay?”

Henry, however, appears to be fine as he gazes outside the right rear window.

“Mom, Killian, its a  _rainbow_. I need to take a picture.” 

Hook and Emma both breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not until he does so that Hook realises he’d been holding his breath. Well that’s probably because the boy’s words had caused his heart to jump into his throat. But the panic begins to fade, as he’s flooded with relief at the Henry’s wellbeing.

He turns to Emma for an answer, and discovers that both of them are still turned towards the back, resulting in there being only inches between their faces. Their eyes meet and Hook can’t help but flash back to the last time they were ever this close. He can still taste her, as if they’d only locked lips in the jungle seconds ago. As his gaze momentarily flits to her lips, he catches her tongue quickly licking them. Clearly she’s reliving the memory too.

When he meets her eyes again, he sees them widen, a pink tint appearing in her cheeks. He just raises eyebrow in response and smiles softly. It flusters the usually calm saviour as she quickly turns back to Henry.

“Sure kid, but make it quick.”

Hook gets out to let Henry out, offering the boy his good hand has he jumps out of the car. He’s wearing a black device of sorts, the strap resting on his neck. Hook watches as he points it towards the rainbow, pressing a button a few times.

Noticing the attention, Henry turns towards him. “It’s a camera, this is what my mom meant by ‘taking a picture’.”

He holds out the screen so Hook can see the results.

“That’s remarkable,” Hook says gazing down at the image. Why did they call this the land without magic?

“Come, I’ll take your picture.” Henry offers with a smile. “Stand here.”

Hook follows the boy’s instructions, standing with his back to the rainbow and smiling at him as best he can. After Henry’s taken a few, he turns back to the car.

“Mom, come on! Get in here! I want one of you and Killian.”

“I don’t know Henry…”

Hook looks to see that Emma’s standing by the driver’s side of the car, the door still open, literally placing the entire vessel between them.

“Afraid to stand next to me  _Love_ ,” He says, a teasing tone in his voice. “I promise I won’t bite.”

He flashes her his most suggestive smile, and sees her turn her head to the side as she gives him her incredulous look. Secretly he couldn’t be happier, his missed this side of the saviour more than anything.

“Come on mom…”

As expected, Emma’s hesitation crumbles in the face of Henry’s request and she slowly walks over and takes her place beside Hook.

“Remember now, SMILE!”

They smile on command, only for Henry to announce he’s taking a second. Out of the corner of his eye, Hook catches a glimpse of Emma’s face, only to see a faint blush re-enter her cheeks. Before he can say anything, she quickly steps away, obviously looking to hide her reaction to him.

Needing a moment, he turns to face the rainbow again. He has to admit, it’s a beautiful sight. He hasn’t seen a rainbow in long, long time. His mother had always said that rainbows were a symbol of hope. But now he’s begun to find hope somewhere else.  

“What do you think is at the end of the rainbow?”

Hook turns to find Henry next to him, looking out at the rainbow too. Emma stands a step behind him on the other side. Looks like she couldn’t bring herself to actually leave them.  

Despite that, he shifts focus to his new friend, grinning mischievously.

“Treasure…” He offers conspiratorially. But then looking back up at Emma, “Love…”

Emma just turns her head to the side and gives him the look he’s convinced she reserves in response to him.

“Come on, we need to go. I want to get to Storybrooke before dark.”

Hook moves to return to the car, but suddenly he feels a hand on his arm. He looks to see that it belongs to Henry.

“Wait,” the boy says, before turning to his mother. “Could we stay just a few more minutes? It’s a  _rainbow_.”

Emma studies his face before consenting. “Just two more minutes.”

Henry’s face bursts into a big grin, and he eagerly turns back to the view. As they continue to take it in, he looks down to see that Henry has yet to move his arm. Hook smiles, the gentle pressure pleasing him more than he ever thought.

Despite living for more than three hundred years, Killian Jones doesn’t have a lot of happy memories. But looking down at the young man next to him, he sees nothing but the possibility for more.  

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For someone who’s spent most of her life on the move, Emma is certain that this is one of her favourite journeys. There’s something quite utterly normal about driving that always seems to relax her. Even if her passengers today are her son and Captain Hook himself.

 _Hook_.

He hasn’t said a word to her since they stopped to look at the rainbow. Instead, he’d been focused on his conversation with Henry, the two of them discussing Hook’s various treasure stores and the ways he’d gone about building it. She’d actually been impressed with some of Hook’s methods, the man’s stories proving him to be a brilliant planner. But that had been two hours ago and Henry has since fallen asleep. She wouldn’t be surprised if Hook had dozed off as well, his head facing the window. It’s been a long day and he’d already been up when she woke up that morning.

Despite her best efforts, they didn’t make it to Storybrooke before nightfall. But Emma doesn’t mind, she enjoys driving at night – especially in the country, where it’s actually possible to see all the stars. She sighs in contentment. The last time she’d seen so many stars, she’d been… sailing home from Neverland.

“I’ve always loved the stars.” Hook says quietly, almost on cue.

Emma is surprised to find him awake. But she doesn’t say anything.

“Me too,” Emma offers lamely.

Hook continues, “There’s something about little flashes of light making its way through such immense darkness.”

“I read somewhere that scientists have found that we’re made out of the same substance as stars,” Emma says, making conversation about anything that isn’t Storybrooke or the curse, or _them_. She is not ready to have that conversation yet. Though part of it’s a lie. Henry’s the one who actually read the article, but luckily he’s not awake to contradict her right now. “Henry says that that makes all of us stars.”

She smiles at her son’s idea.  

“The lad may be on to something,” Hook says, turning to look at her. “Though I’d say some shine brighter than others.” 

Emma blushes despite herself. She quickly tries to change the topic. “Thanks for being so good with Henry and all the questions. What he was asking was quite personal.”

She looks over to see Hook smile. “Nonsense Swan. I quite enjoyed our conversation. The lad is turning out to be quite the young man. His year with you did him some good.”

Emma’s glad it’s too dark to see that her cheeks have only reddened further. She’s about to respond when she spots the sign for Storybrooke up ahead. But instead of feeling excited, she begins to panic. The significance of what she’s about to do, finally hitting her. She pulls over on the side of the road, in front of the sign.

“Everything alright  _Love_?” Hook’s voice is quiet.

“I just… I just need some air.” Emma responds, turning off the lights and stepping out of the car. She walks out in front of her car and stands there, staring at the sign. A moment later, Hook joins her, but stands a few steps behind her. She is more than thankful for it, his presence comforting her like nothing else in her life has. 

“I just… I never asked to become the ‘Saviour’,” she begins, slowly processing the emotions swirling inside her. “Is it wrong that I wish I didn’t have my memories back?”

She turns to face him now. “This last year with Henry was… amazing. I actually got to  _raise_ him, and be a mother.”

He doesn’t say anything. He just nods and listens. Suddenly Emma feels like they’re back in the Echo Cave, and she’s about to bare her soul to him.

“It feels like someone took my happy ending away from me.”        

Tears spring to her eyes as she allows herself to accept those words. And just like that a weight is lifted off her shoulders. However, she begins to feel the guilt rushing in to take its place.

Hook just steps forward, facing her.

“Emma, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that happy endings are rarely what we think, and never what we expect,” He smiles sadly at her. “Henry might be your happy ending now, but I have a feeling that your ending is incomplete.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, gazing into his eyes.

He reaches up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear with his hook. “Simply that there must have been a time when your happy ending involved finding your parents. I believe it still does.”

As he says it she realises it’s true. Somehow, upon discovering who David and Mary Margaret were, she’d unconsciously made them a given in her happy ending. That was part of why the curse hurt so much when it ripped them away from her.

She nods, confirming his words – the pirate who searched for her for a year and a day so he could bring her back home. All that he’d done, he’d done for her. Including attempting  _True Love’s Kiss…_   

Until this moment, she hadn’t realised that somewhere along this trip, she’d made another addition to her happy ending.

She reaches down and takes his hand, giving it a squeeze, before leaning forward and whispering into his ear. “There might just be room for  _one more_.”

She lets go and smiles at him, her eyes twinkling. Walking backward, she calls out to him.

“Come on Hook, this curse isn’t going to break itself.”

“As you wish…” he calls out, somewhere behind her.

Emma smiles to herself as she sits in the car. Her father had told her to start looking for good moments. Watching Hook smile at her as he walks back to the car, she sees nothing but the promise, of a happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: First of all, I wrote this for the lovely Colinodamnoghue, (who deserves nothing but applause for that url) as a part of Secret CS shipmates to celebrate the end of the hiatus-that-went-on-forever. It’s definitely the longest one-shot I’ve ever attempted, but I felt like the different beats were needed/I felt they were sweet and things that I as a viewer would want to see, but more importantly, something that Colinodamnoghue would want to read. The ending felt a bit rushed, because I had a lot of work over the past few days, but I’m going to come back and do a better rewrite/edit later this week. It was a ton of fun working on this and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> As usual, any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, feel free to message me. I may have written this for someone, but I’d still love feedback. Thanks for reading!
> 
> If you enjoyed this, check out any of my other stuff here on AO3 or on tumblr, or on ff.net.


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